Such toy construction systems have been known for decades. In particular, toy construction systems comprising toy construction elements having coupling means for releasably interconnecting construction elements with each other have gain high popularity. The simple building blocks have been supplemented with dedicated construction elements with a mechanical or electrical function to enhance the play value. Such functions include e.g. motors, switches and lamps.
It is generally desirable to enhance the play value of physical construction models and to allow users to interact with physical construction models via a computer. To this end, physical construction models have been disclosed that include programmable processors that accept input from sensors and can activate function elements in response to received sensor inputs, and that may be programmed by the user by means of a suitably programmed computer.
For example, W009047225 discloses a toy construction system that comprises construction elements with coupling means for releasably interconnecting construction elements. The toy construction system further comprises a data processing system programmed provide a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling one or more function elements of the construction system. To this end the toy construction system comprises interface construction elements allowing to electrically couple a toy construction model to a computer, and allowing the computer to detect which function elements are included in the toy construction model.
Even though the above prior art system allows a user to interact with a physical construction model by means of a computer, it remains desirable to provide a closer integration of the physical construction model and a virtual reality generated on a computer.
Within the different technical field of image recognition and computer graphics, systems that utilize augmented reality (AR) have attracted increased interest Augmented reality (AR) is a technology where a captured live view of one or more items of a physical, real-world environment is augmented by a computer-generated graphics, i.e. where a user is presented with a composite view comprising the live view and the computer-generated graphics, e.g. in the form of an overlay/superposition of the live view with the computer-graphics.
In these systems, image features are detected within the captured view, and the system may then generate a computer-generated image in dependence upon the designated image feature and superimpose the generated image on the captured view. Additionally, the superposition of computer generated images onto video images comprising predetermined augmented reality markers or tags that facilitate the detection of image features are known. Augmented reality has been used to present to a user a computer-generated image of a toy construction model that can be built from toy construction elements sold in a box. To this end the box comprises an augmented reality marker on its outside. When the user holds the box in front of a video camera of an in-store kiosk system, the kiosk system shows the captured video image of the box, augmented with a computer-generated image of the construction model that is shown as if built on top of the box. When the user moves or rotates the box in front of the camera, the computer-generated image of the construction model follows these movements.
However, it remains desirable to provide a closer integration of the physical construction model and a virtual reality generated on a computer.
It thus remains a problem to provide a toy construction system that allows small children, e.g. pre-school children, to combine a physical toy construction model with a virtual, computer-generated play experience.
It is also generally desirable to provide a toy construction system with that is suitable for children without a detailed understanding of programming techniques, control systems, or the like. It is also generally desirable to enhance the educational and play value of toy construction systems.